Minors under 16 in Indonesia can no longer create accounts on platforms such as Instagram.
According to AP, Reuters and other international media outlets on Wednesday, the Indonesian government enforced a regulation banning children under 16 from creating accounts on digital platforms where they could be exposed to pornography, online fraud, addiction and cyberbullying.
The targeted platforms include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter) and Roblox. These high-risk platforms are required to adjust their minimum age requirements, deactivate minor accounts and conduct their own risk assessments. However, the Indonesian government said the regulation will be implemented in phases until all high-risk platforms comply. Mutiara Hafid, Indonesia's Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs, explained that X and TikTok would begin deactivating accounts of minors under 16 starting Wednesday.
The measure applies to 70 million children and adolescents in Indonesia, a country of 280 million people. Some lower-risk platforms will still be accessible to minors, provided they implement strict safeguards such as enhanced privacy settings, parental controls and location tracking.
"The government has instructed all digital platforms operating in Indonesia to immediately align their products, features and services with the relevant regulations," Hafid said. "All companies doing business in Indonesia must comply with the law." She added, "This is certainly not an easy task, but we must act to protect children. We must see it through to the end, no matter how difficult."
She explained that the criteria for classifying high-risk platforms include how easily children can be exposed to strangers, potential criminals and generally harmful content, as well as the level of exploitation risk and data security fraud risk.
Indonesian parents and child protection groups have largely welcomed the government's move, citing the negative impact of social media use on adolescents' mental health. However, human rights group Amnesty International raised concerns that young people would lose a means of self-expression.
Few platforms have clearly stated their position on Indonesia's regulation so far. X specified a minimum user age of 16 on its Indonesia online safety guidance page. The page stated, "This is not our choice — it is what Indonesian law requires." YouTube said it supports the Indonesian government's efforts to build an effective risk-based regulatory framework that addresses online harms while maintaining access to information and digital opportunities. TikTok said through its official newsroom that it would take necessary steps to meet regulatory requirements, strengthen user protection measures and inform Indonesian users when additional guidelines are issued.
Australia had earlier introduced the world's first social media ban for children, aiming to reclaim family control from technology companies and protect young people. Australia has been enforcing a law since December last year that completely bans minors from using social media regardless of parental consent. The law primarily imposes fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (approximately 47.3 billion won, or $31 million) on platforms if Australian minors under 16 create accounts on services such as X or TikTok. As a result, social media companies deleted approximately 4.7 million child accounts at the time.
